W.H. says Kyl story not true

The White House on Monday denied Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl’s claim that President Barack Obama told him privately that he would not work to secure the border unless it was part of a comprehensive immigration reform package.

In a video that started circulating among conservative blogs over the weekend, the Arizona Republican is seen telling supporters in North Phoenix that in a private meeting in the Oval Office, Obama said “the problem” with border enforcement measures is that “if we secure the border then [Republicans] won’t have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform.”

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Kyl said the president’s supposed statement is proof that Democrats “don’t want to secure the border unless or until it is combined with comprehensive immigration reform.”

But in a statement to POLITICO, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer denied Kyl’s account of the conversation, saying “the president didn’t say that and Senator Kyl knows it.”

“There are more resources dedicated toward border security today than ever before, but, as the President has made clear, truly securing the border will require a comprehensive solution to our broken immigration system,” Pfeiffer said.

Kyl has been one of the most outspoken critics of the president on immigration reform and has before accused Democrats of holding up border security in order to keep it as a chip to negotiate for broader reform.

Later in the video, Kyl says the reason the federal government has not secured the border is that Democrats “don’t want to do it.”

“They want to get something in return for doing their duty,” the Arizona Republican said. “You don’t have to have comprehensive reform to secure the border, but you have to secure the border to get comprehensive reform.”

Kyl spokesman Ryan Patmintra said the senator is not backing down from his assertion, despite the White House’s denial.

“There were two people in that meeting, and Dan Pfieffer was not one of them,” Patmintra said. “Senator Kyl stands by his remarks, and the White House spokesman’s pushback that you must have comprehensive immigration reform to secure the border only confirms Senator Kyl’s account.”